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Flight Simulation
Reviews Summary Popular Computing Weekly Issue 17 Writer: TB Flight Simulation (£5.95) is the final games tape in this package from Psion. No words can do justice to this most elegant of programs - in my opinion the best use of machine-code yet available for the ZX81! You are placed in the pilot's seat of a twin-engined prop plane, somewhere near a landing strip, and your job is to land safely. There are several modes, but they all feature the same cockpit display of altimeter, rev counter and so on, together with a view from the cockpit window. This shows the horizon, which will show the degree of bank and rate of climb or descent. This is all depicted in a most realistic way. To help you find the runway, you may call up a map, and this, together with several beacons, will guide you to the final approach. At this point, you may ask for a visual approach, and this will consist of a 3D representation of the runway and approach lights. As in real life, an eye must be kept on wind-speed, and the plane kept from stalling. Summary The Psion tapes are a welcome change from the usual run of Sinclair Software (from any source). All are good value, but I would single out Flight Simulation for special mention — you will not see a better games program, until Psion create one for the Spectrum. ZX Computing Issue 3 Writer: Nick Pearce Avid readers of the computer press, and visitors to the ZX81 counters of W H Smith, could hardly have failed to notice the extensive range of software recently released by Sinclair. I decided to look at six of the Psion cassettes. The best of the six is, in my opinion, FLIGHT SIMULATION. This is a superb program which makes very good use of the power and the graphics of the ZX81. You are the pilot of a small, high-performance aeroplane, which must be safely landed. You have a choice of three screen displays. The cockpit display shows the outside world (horizon) in the upper half of the screen, and cockpit instruments in the lower half, including power indicator, altimeter, fuel guage, rate of climb indicator, air speed indicator and radio direction finding equipment. The map shows the position of the runway, various radio beacons, the aeroplane, and an escarpment of hills to hinder your landing. The third display is the visual approach which shows a full perspective view of the runway lights, together with some essential landing indicators. This display is particularly effective and gives a convincing "pilot eye" view of the runway lights which cope admirably with banking and changes in speed or altitude. The program's instructions are clear and concise. It is well worth getting acquainted with them before flying. I didn't, and consequently landed with the undercarriage up, and then made repeated attempts to land without using flaps, and therefore stalling, on my next few flights. After a little practice, flying becomes easier, and full use can be made of the controls and facilities that were ignored during the panic of the first few flights. An option at the start of the program allows the aspiring aviator to practice and perfect just the final runway approach and landing. If you find flying becomes too easy — which is most unlikely — you can introduce additional complexity by adding wind effects. I have just two criticisms of FLIGHT SIMULATION. I would have liked to try my hand at taking-off, which is not possible with this program; the program permits the pilot to 'cheat' and 'fly' at ground level (zero altimeter reading) on the runway approach. Apart from these points, I could not fault this software. At £5.95 it represents very good value for money. Incidentally, a friend kindly lent me a 12½K flight simulation on his Tandy computer. In many respects I found the Psion simulation superior; both its visual effects and navigational facilities were more convincing, and it was more user-friendly. The Tandy version does have some additional features, however, including take-off and taxiing, and a wargame facility. Category:ZX81 Games Category:Sinclair Research Category:Popular Computing Weekly Reviews Category:ZX Computing Reviews